Of Streetrats and Aristocrats
by SSCeles
Summary: Set in present day with flashbacks. Bakura's POV. Set after Battle City... Pharaoh is now getting his memory back by asking questions of Bakura and Seto. But what does Bakura not want him to remember?
1. When You Die

Rated for… um… language. Don't know where this is going yet, but maybe I'll know in a chapter or two. It's all off the top of my head, if that's alright with the reviewers. Feel free to toss me an idea or two. –Celez

If you've read my other fic, Getting Away, then the past life that Bakura doesn't want Pharaoh to remember becomes obvious. So whether or not you've read it, keep an open mind. Secondly,** there will be yaoi, **but any pairing is likely to pop up. It could be YYxYB, it could be YBxR, more likely some YBxM, and Joey and Seto will more likely than not be together. I don't know the status of YY and Y right now. But as of _right now _none of the characters are in any relationships with eachother, the point of this fic is to bring certain people closer together for, say, emotional support. That and they are remembering their past lives.

---

I sat rubbing my forehead irritably, a slight snarl to my mouth. Like a captured animal I was constantly being dragged wherever Ryou went. Before, I never would have let Ryou go anywhere he wished. Recently, however, Pharaoh had a talk with me about "interfering with royal business" or some such crap. It also appeared that Pharaoh wanted to keep an eye on me. As if I was a small child!

Ryou was sitting next to me happily fondling a very plush couch pillow. Next to him sat the Pharaoh's brat, next to him Joey, and then Seto. Seto appeared not to want to be there almost as much as I obviously didn't want to be there. Pharaoh, the royal high ass, was sitting on a large floor pillow on, of course, the floor. And that was no Freudian slip when I said high ass.

"I've brought you all here today on very important business," said the pharaoh tartly.

I rolled my eyes.

"Tomb robber!" growled Pharaoh, "Stop doing that!"

That was the first time! Was he under the impression that I was already bored? I wasn't bored! I was pissed off! I fought the urge to roll my eyes again. Not gonna happen. I glared instead.

"I want to remember my past. Anything any of you can tell me may spark memory that could enlighten us all."

Ah. So he was digging in his muddled memories again, was he? And don't think calling me "tomb robber" was because of something he remembered. I believe Isis told him that. Point is, nothing he would discover would enlighten me, since I never forgot the past. I just chose not to remember it. Of course I was acting dumb so he wouldn't pull anything out of me, but Seto over there was in all actuality dumb about it. The former High Priest turned a blind eye to the past.

"Is that why the mutt dragged me here? Cut the crap, Pharaoh."

Well he conveyed his opinions well.

"At least you call me Pharaoh now."

"Only as an insult!"

As do I, I mused. I looked at one and then the other and then shook my head and smiled to myself. Yes a smile. This was amusing. Maybe I would tell them my secret.

"Pharaoh…" I purred.

Pharaoh shot his gaze to me, unchanged from his argument with Seth, excuse me, Seto, and gave a roar like a… wild boar. What were you expecting, a lion? Either way, it was odd, and just added to my amusement.

I put my hands in my lap congenially and said carefully, "Pharaoh, despite what I've told you before, I never forgot my past. I have no need to be here, and it wouldn't benefit me in the slightest to be here."

Ryou, I sensed through the bond, got a pang of worry out of that. He thought I wanted to take him home and beat on him some more rather than let him stay here where he's safe? Well I don't know about all that, but I didn't want to be here.

"He's just saying that so he can leave!" Yugi piped, defending Ryou.

I raised my eyebrows and lifted my hand to examine my nails casually. There was a bit of dried blood under one. How unpleasant.

"If you require proof, then inquire all you like. Play a game of 20 questions, but I'm not going to give you anything useful."

There. I was satisfied. Smirking, my hands went back to my lap and I leaned forward. Oh how I hated Pharaoh. Even at his weakest, like now, he was still too intelligent to take down easily. He may not remember, but he has a new life now. I was going to paint the world red with his blood some day. His eyes locked with mine and my eyes narrowed for a moment. I was starting to sweat! No! I wasn't scared of him, I hated him! Not the same thing! My shield on the bond went up. Ryou didn't need to get a wave of my emotions.

Pharaoh folded his hands in his lap.

"Well then… Bakura. Why have you been hiding this information?"

Hiding it? Well of course!

"You think I would give away my biggest advantage to my enemy? Pharaoh! Some day I'm going to rip your heart out, burn it to a crisp, and force it down your own dead throat! I'm going to cut out your soul, shatter it into a billion pieces and light it on fire!"

Everyone was staring at me now with wide eyes except Pharaoh, who stared back unfazed. Ryou and Yugi were slowly inching away.

"I wish to know… what I've done… to make you feel that way about me, Bakura…" said Pharaoh slowly, rolling over each word.

"You murdering sonofabiatch! Find out for yourself!"

"Promise you won't kill me until I know then?" Pharaoh smirked.

That grated. Pharaoh's smirk… Gods, I remembered each and every time that happened.

"You know, Bakura…" he lifted a can of Diet Pepsi and took a swig, "If you tell me, maybe I'll let you kill me."

"Yami, no!" shrieked an alarmed Yugi.

Pharaoh gave a placid look to his _aibou_, "I don't know what I've done. I don't know if I deserve to die or not, but if I do, I will know when I know what I've done." He turned that look onto me, "I think we can both agree that, as long as I don't know, I don't deserve to be killed."

"You'll know," I growled, "I want you to know who you are when you DIE."

---

TBC…

Review, _onegai_? _Domo arigatou_!


	2. What Was

Yay! Omg! Reviews on the first day! _Arigatou_! Sadly, I think my website has been accidentally deleted. –cringe- Oh… that's bad. I will write some more. School gives me free time. TT

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Now I was glaring at wall - Pharaoh's wall. I wanted it to burn. I wanted this whole house to burn with Pharaoh in it! Seto and Joey left because they decided it best. I tried to up and follow them out, dragging Ryou by his ugly sweater, only to be stopped by Pharaoh. There he had been, standing between me and that Ra forsaken door. My hand again went to my cheek before I forced it down again half way. Pharaoh had _slapped_ me.

What control did he possibly think he had over me? He couldn't possibly remember anything. I'm not even sure why I hated him so much. Well… for sure I hated them all for my village. Who all? Well who else was left to blame but the Ankhamun's son? He ordered it after all. I narrowed my glare. That wall deserved to burn. _Burn_.

"Yugi, take Ryou down to the kitchen, I'll talk with Bakura."

That was Pharaoh's voice. Oh Ra, Pharaoh's voice. I was as good as a cornered animal! Hook line and sink! Rage boiled deep within, but fear kept trying to ooze its way into me. I am not afraid of him. I am not afraid of him finding out anything. I was the lowly thief, he was the… oh what was a good word for him… it doesn't matter… he was just the high and mighty demi-god newly risen pharaoh asshole that he was.

"Now…" said Pharaoh as he walked into the room he actually shared with his brat, "Let's talk like civilized human beings."

My eyes shifted to Pharaoh. Why did I even get dragged into coming here? This all could have been avoided. Damn me and my mouth. Pharaoh frowned.

"This is going to be harder than I thought. Let go of that Ring, you're going to driving that pointer through your hand…"

He moved towards me with an outstretched hand. I shied away uncomfortably. I can't keep my calm under this pressure! Pharaoh's hand touched my clenched fists and it felt like a shock ran through my entire body. My spine absolutely shivered. Why is he touching me!

Black lightning erupted from the Ring in my fist and I magically slammed Pharaoh into the wall and held him there. Now what? I stood up. No point in running. Why do I feel so damn confused?

"D…Don't touch me!" I yelled at him. Oh Ra. Did I just stutter?

In my delay to do anything I found myself tossed off balance and slammed into the opposite wall by Pharaoh much in the same way I did to him. And he was just as forceful at it. How come he still remembered how to do that but didn't remember his past? I dropped my hold on him and he slid off the wall. Pharaoh regained his composure with his usual grace and strode towards me. That way he had his arms crossed looked so childish on him.

"Yes… This is going to be much harder than I thought…" he murmured.

I was going to _murder_ this fool someday, and he actually still thought I had it in me to have a civilized conversation with him? I wonder if I spit from here if it would land in his hair or on his face.

He smiled up at me rather congenially. I wonder what he had planned for me. What did he expect me to tell him? I didn't come into his life until the last few years. I was an unknown before then.

"I could be like you, Bakura. I don't want to be. That's not who I want to be. I'm not the same person I was back then. How can I be? Whatever the past, I've been granted a new life. You should see it as the same."

He sat on the bed and slid Yugi's coat off his shoulders and hung it on a bed post. Suddenly the magic holding me to the wall fell apart and I caught myself just in time not to hit my face. I whipped around and spit Pharaoh in the face. Nice and… not so clean. Proud of my aim, I stood up and leaned against the wall.

Pharaoh had the look of five dozen sour lemons worth on his face. A stiff hand came up and deliberately wiped his face clean. He held his hand at arm's length after that and gave it a shake or two before wiping it on the carpet.

"Tomb robber," he growled, sour look still on his face, "Revenge is a sin you know."

"Oh?" I said brightly, "Is that why you shoved me into a wall too? Still a sinner I see."

"That wasn't revenge that was justification!"

"Ha! Just because you're the Pharaoh doesn't mean you're above the law!"

"I…" he stopped, unsure of himself, "Was the law."

"_Was_."


	3. How Dare

Nope, my website is ok. I'm writing this in a computer class in school. I should be working but I'm ahead of everyone and bored. If that's not enough, I like doing what I shouldn't. I'm writing this just because I was told not to. _Go me_!

---

Things were silent for several minutes and then I decided it time to break the silence. Calmly, I addressed the first thing to mind.

"I'm going to leave now, if you've got nothing better to do than accuse me."

"No!" Pharaoh said, leaping to his feet, "Don't leave! I want you to tell me about my past."

"I know about my past, not yours. You're on your own."

"Bakura, please."

He's pleading me? Hey… I kind of like this. I tossed him a skeptical look like I didn't believe his pleading.

"Please," Pharaoh tried again, still in vain.

"No."

Ow. He looked hurt. I started to chuckle, this was just too good.

"Tell me… tell me about the palace. I must have lived in a palace."

"The palace was… big." I rolled that over in my mouth, "Is that good enough?"

"No! All palaces are big!"

I scratched the back of my head. What could I say besides the obvious?

"The palace was three stories tall. It had a row of sphinx statues lining each side of the walk up to it."

"What was it made out of?"

"Hell if I know."

And I didn't know. Maybe it was marble… er… granite. Limestone? It was white.

"It was white."

Pharaoh frowned, "Okay, wise guy, what was in it?"

I put my chin in my hand and my elbow on my knee and gave Pharaoh a blank look. Damn did he deserve it. I'm cranky, I'm hungry, and I don't want to be Pharaoh's little encyclopedia on Egyptian Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. I refuse to answer such a vague of a question as "what was in it."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"More specific, or no answers."

Now he was the one rolling his eyes. Pharaoh and his brat weren't very good hosts to guests. I've seen Pharaoh chug at least three Diet Pepsi's in the short while I've been here, and I haven't been offered anything. Rude!

"Like, when you first walk in, what was the room like? What was it called, how big was it?"

"There were a lot of ways to walk into that palace."

"The front entrance with the row of sphinxes is what I'm asking about, Bakura!"

I tried to look menacing. This was annoying.

"No." I said simply.

"No what?"

"No as in… I don't want to answer any more questions."

He pursed his lips. Now he looked angry. The last time I refused he was sad. And I thought I had it bad in a teenage body. Hormones really must wreck havoc with the short asshole. Pharaoh reached for me again. He was girlish if he was actually thinking about slapping me again. _Slapping._ Ch… I backed away in a crab walk fashion. I was on my ass after all, a few more inches wasn't hard to keep him away.

Pharaoh appeared to stop, reconsidering.

"Bakura," he said, patting the bed next to him, "Come and sit."

"No!"

He raised an eyebrow, "If you like sitting on the floor in front of me, that's fine by me. I was just trying to put us on level ground."

He smirked. Ra damn that smirk. I leapt up, grumbling, and sat on the bed. Why was my hikari and Pharaoh's brat taking so damn long in the kitchen?

"Bakura…"

I refused to look at him. Suddenly there was an arm over my shoulder, holding me to Pharaoh. How dare he! How dare-

---

Cliffhanger! Muahaha! Would anyone like this to go off of my Getting Away story? (As in Yami x Bakura but Bakura wants nothing to do with it.) That story can be their past. Or would you rather I do something new? **I want a response on what to do.** Love is hate and hate is love. For as much as they hate each other, wouldn't that be so amusing? Or no? _Call to action, review!_


	4. Kitten

Suddenly I was back on the floor, with Pharaoh on top of me, and his knee in between my legs rather uncomfortably pressed against some fragile parts. He leaned over top of me, eyes big and sparkly, and inches from my face.

"Forgive me, just being near you gives me a sense of nostalgia. I figure acting on it will help…"

No! I don't want him to remember me! I pushed him away with one hand. He really was lighter than me, even in this copy of Ryou's body.

"Get off!"

He frowned almost thoughtfully and sat back, his eyes searching mine. I scooted away. Something had to be done. If he comes to remember anything, if he already _did_ remember anything, my days of freedom were shot.

"Yami!" I said, using the name that Yugi gave him instead of calling him Pharaoh, "Get a hold of yourself! There are reasons why I don't want you to remember, and you don't need to know those reasons. So whatever you accidentally stumble upon, I don't ever ever want you to act on it!"

"Don't tell me what to do, tomb robber, I'm trying to remember here. You're breaking my concentration."

I didn't like where this was going. At least he hadn't called me by the Ra-forsaken pet name "_kitten_"yet. I stood up and marched over to the door.

"Hey!" he shouted, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to find my hikari and leave!"

I swung the door open and slammed it behind me. There was Yugi and Ryou coming up the stairs at the start of the hall. Ryou got one look at me and started to tremble. Oh how typical.

"We're going back to the apartment, brat, come on!"

His brown eyes widened and he inclined his head in a mini bow of fearful respect. Yugi gave a sniff and walked in front of Ryou, holding his arms out defensively.

"You're not taking him!"

"Is that so?"

I took a step forward, both hands clenched in fists by my sides.

"Is that a threat?" I asked.

I raised a fist.

"A challenge?" I asked again.

Yugi, of course, backed down like I expected him to. Pharaoh would be angry if I laid so much as a finger on him, I knew, but the fact is I didn't. I'll probably never have to. He's an ever bigger wimp that my hikari. I stood in front of Ryou, arms crossed.

"Well? What are you waiting for, my invitation? Move!"

I spun him around by his shoulders and gave him a shove to get going. Halfway down the stairs I heard Pharaoh open the door and march to the top of the stairs.

"Bakura," he growled.

I wasn't going to stop for him.

"Tomb robber!" Pharaoh shouted, "I'm trying to get your attention!"

Ryou had to pause and sit down to put on his sneakers. The little runt took them off "politely" when he came in. I never so much as kick mine off even at our own apartment unless I was ready for bed. Rage boiled in my blood, but I knew I would have to keep it down until I was well away from this stupid game shop. Pharaoh was at the bottom of the stairs behind me.

"Kitten…" Pharaoh slurred softly.

I think that just by him saying that caused me to burst a blood vessel in my hand. That could hurt later. I spun and pointed at him accusingly.

"Don't remember anything! Don't you _dare_!"

He had a bemused smirk on his face.

"I have your little secret now, Bakura, and its absolutely delicious. Thank you for coming over, kitten… I couldn't have remembered that without you."

There was a tug on my shirt sleeve. I looked down at Ryou. He had his shoes on now. Thank Ra.

Pharaoh continued to muse, almost to himself, "Still too many holes… How did the story end? Bakura, you must tell me more. How did things come about that we came here to present day?"

"Nooo!" I screamed with fury.

That had double meaning. I didn't want to answer his questions, and how could he have possibly remembered anything from just shoving me on the floor? I would cry, if I had any tears left to shed… No tears since Kruelna. I never deserved to suffer back then, and I'm not about to let myself suffer now!

I opened the door shoved Ryou out onto the pavement and slammed the door behind me. I need to get back to that apartment so I can think. I sent myself back into spirit form and into the Ring around Ryou's neck.

⁄⁄Home. ⁄⁄ I ordered mentally, ⁄⁄Now. ⁄⁄

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_Review! _By the way, ⁄according to my Word processor is different than /. / ⁄/⁄ / ⁄See? I have found a cure for the Yami-Hikari talking! (Took me long enough.)


	5. An Old Face

God… I'm sick. I shouldn't have to be here at school today! Damn WASL testing! I've been hacking up a storm. My throat is so sore yet I dread to take any of this minty flavored gum or a cherry cough drop, because you know what those taste like… GR!

-cry-

---

Ryou walked home at sufficiently quick pace, but I could have managed far faster. However, I didn't feel like being out in the cold night air. At the apartment door he fumbled with the key and couldn't get the bloody door to unlock. I swatted his hands away from the door and shifted the handle. The door wasn't locked, so there was no wonder the key wasn't working.

I opened the door and did a very polite, "After you," to mock him. He walked into the apartment hesitantly, just as he should.

"What did you think you were doing back there!" I yelled at him as soon as the door shut.

Ryou squeaked and covered his head while backing down the hallway.

"Oh yeah? You better run! You're toast!"

I began my advance on him only to be halted when a shadowy figure stepped out of the kitchen into the hallway, arms crossed in front of my hikari.

"Is that so? You and what toaster?"

My hand reached out and flicked on the hallway light. I should have figured it was Malik Ishtar, cocky remark and all. But no, of course it was him, shining in all his irritating glory. I haven't seen him since the end of Battle City, so what the hell is he doing here now? Ryou looked up at Malik with surprise. Oh yes, that's right. He'd never actually met Malik before.

Before I could get a single word out, Malik started in with, "Sorry to pop back into your life and interfere with you and your host's business, but…" and here he inserted a strangely sorrowful look, "I need to talk with you…" his voice wavered, "Bakura."

On the final emotional note of my name, he stepped forward and grabbed my hand. Where was this going? He cradled my hand in both of his and looked up with two very familiar purple eyes.

"Bakura, I know it's only been a month or two since Battle City ended, but I never went back to Egypt with my sister. I.." he cringed, "Oh what the hell! Bakura, I remember my past life, I remember _you_."

My eyes shot wide. _Maaliki_ was Malik. The Malik I knew, from back in ancient Egypt, was named Maaliki. The resemblance, yes, I noted it before but I couldn't connect it to my past. It was undeniable now. He remembered his past? Maaliki was back? The first waves of shock rolled off me and I found myself staring into those purple eyes.

A faint glimmer of hope was present in those eyes. I could break it. I could have Malik off my case if told him I didn't remember Maaliki. But then I would be lying to myself. I did remember, and I did want my Maaliki back. _Oh Maaliki…_

There was Ryou in the background looking from me to Malik, puzzled look on his face. I looked down to my hand that Maaliki- No! Malik was holding. I whipped my hand out of his grasp and gave a stern look at my hikari.

"Brat, go buy some American food from the store," I said pointedly, tossing him the house keys, "And be back no sooner than an hour."

Now it was obvious to him I didn't want him in the house while I was talking to Malik. He nodded and clenched the keys. I swear he muttered a small thank you prayer or something, because there was a delay in him getting up. Ryou quickly passed us by and left out the door, closing it softly. It wasn't like him to listen in, and I knew he knew better. That was one way to trust that it was finally okay for me to let my guard down.

I looked at Malik, and he looked at me. I let out a small breath before nearly leaping at him to give him a firm hug. Not _too_ sentimental, but more than I'd give anyone else. And damn did he deserve it! Maaliki!

"Are you really remembering? That's great! We really need to talk then."

"Yeah…" he said solemnly.

"What's wrong?"

"My memory is still splotchy…"

"Yeah, but so is mine," I countered.

He looked up at me again.

"Bakura… the carvings on my back, Battle City, the God Cards… Pharaoh will get his memory back. And I have enough of my memory now to know that's a _bad_ thing for me and you. Especially you."

I stopped to consider this. Yes, without Malik, Pharaoh may have never been able to get his memory back. And Pharaoh would remember me.

Damn the Gods! Why! I never asked to be reincarnated!

I looked again to Maaliki- Malik! Gah, well, I guess it's okay to call him Maaliki again… and gave him a hearty smile. At least I had him back. And now we would help each other get our memories back. That, if anything, gives us a larger edge over Pharaoh than anything else.

TBC

Previews: What happens to Ryou on the way home from shopping? Does Seto remember more than he lets on?

---

Okay, well, you really need to have read Getting Away to understand this fic. And a little bit of my other fic, Tou-zoku-ou, Thief King! would be helpful too. Don't ask me why, and don't ask me to change it, but ever since three years ago when I was looking up the old-style versions of Malik to find its origins, I've been calling the past ancient Egypt Malik, Maaliki. That's (Malik-ai). Anyway, the Arabic word that means "King" is not Malik, but "Maaliki" anyway. Just go with it, it's how it I am. And a prenote: Past Seto will be Seth. Don't argue on the name, again, just go with it.


	6. Maaliki

**_

* * *

Ooooo_ Bakura Apartment // With Malik _ooooO

* * *

_**I pulled my old friend tenderly into my arms. Malik had been such an ass to me at Battle City, nothing at all like his past self. I stroked his cheek and gave an awkward smile. So many things I've been through with Maaliki. He had never doubted me. I wish I could have done more with him, intimately, but... there was just never the time. I knew he had always wanted it, but anytime we ever got close something always tore us away from each other and the rebound only made us closer friends. Just friends. I wish I hadn't left that I loved him so unsaid... Gah... but love is weakness, is it not? He merely smiled and played with my bangs. 

"...your yami makes no sense, Malik." I said, letting go of him and sweeping my way through the house, flicking on a light here and there.

"In what way?" Malik asked, trailing me, "The fact that he wasn't a past self of me like you and the Pharaoh? I can't explain him, its like he's not a real yami. Well he is dark, but..."

I looked over my shoulder and gave a sassy smirk, "Being a 'yami' is more of a term we have adopted because we're so dark in nature."

"Exactly, so it doesn't matter what you call him, he had nothing to do with the past. But it's not like Seto Kaiba has a yami either."

"You know," I said, while sitting myself on the couch, "He was around in the past, so he probably has or will develop a 'yami' past self."

"So it has nothing to do with the Millennium Items, getting a yami?"

"Well that's what I thought at first, too. But just because someone gets an item it doesn't mean they'll get a yami, either. Like Pegasus."

He nodded and sat down next to me, almost on me. I wrapped an arm him just as the phone started to ring. My eye twitched involuntarily. I pried myself away from Maaliki, err, Malik... and jolted the phone receiver off its base and pressed it to my ear.

"Hello and what the hell do you want!?"

"Oh, am I interrupting something... kitten?"

"STOP using that name, Ra damn you, Pharaoh!"

From the couch Malik tossed me a puzzled expression, but on the other line Pharaoh's snotty voice continued to plague me.

"I wanted to tell you I'm going to be dropping by tomorrow while our hikaris are at school."

"Like hell you will!!" I shouted at the phone.

"Just letting you know, didn't want you unprepared. I'm glad to see you don't object, tata for now."

I visibly twitched again as the line went dead. I slammed the receiver back onto its charger. I felt like going off in a fit of deranged screaming, but Malik was here and I wanted to prove I was sane. So, instead, I calmly walked back to the couch and sat down whilst grinding my teeth the entire way.

"That was... Pharaoh, I take it?"

"Pharaoh, indeed," I responded sourly.

Malik gripped my arm, "What did he want?"

"He says he's coming over tomorrow."

"Didn't you try to stop him?"

"He stopped me from stopping him and then hung up."

Simultaneously we both cursed under our breath. I chuckled at this.

Then, he offered, "Hey, you can stay at my place."

"You're staying in Domino?"

"No, actually... I'm staying in Nagoya. I know it's in another province, but hey, Pharaoh would never find you that way, right? There are like, what, a hundred and twenty-seven million people in Japan?"

Being an ancient Egyptian spirit, I knew little about Japan, and I hadn't the foggiest idea of which province I was even in. I shook my head and frowned. I laid back and rested my head in Malik's lap and propped my feet up on the arm rest of the couch. Malik smiled down at me, purple eyes sparkling, dangling earrings glimmering... so much like how Maaliki looked when he first stumbled upon me... Ra, how long ago was that?

"Reminising?" he murmured.

I nodded.

"Mmmm..."

He closed his eyes and leaned back into the couch comfortably and began to stroke my hair. Despite myself, I felt my cheeks growing warm. Damned blushing reflex. Oh well... I hardly doubt he'd notice. Faintly I wondered how he got into my house in the first place... Hmmm...

* * *

**_Ooooo_ Some Street, Somewhere // Ryou_ ooooO

* * *

_**It was cold -and- it was raining. 

Ryou shivered involuntarily and looked to the sky in disappointment. At times like this he wondered why he didn't have a car, or a fancy motorcycle like Tristan... A car drove by at that very moment and hydroplaned over a patch of standing water, spraying Ryou from head to toe in dirty water. Ryou opened his mouth and closed it again quickly. It wasn't like him to scream obscenities at rude drivers. Ryou shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking towards the food store. _Well hmph_, he thought to himself, _at the very least... I want a bicycle._ Suddenly he got the image of his yami attempting to ride a bicycle and crashing into a lamp post. Ryou giggled to himself. He tossed a fearful look around by instinct. He shouldn't be thinking such things!

The street lamp directly above Ryou flickered out and he stared up at it. What an ominous sign. Ryou had always been fascinated in the supernatural and the occult and so he wondered what it could mean. This time, however, he shrugged it off and turned the corner and fell into the warm lights that bathed the store's parking lot.

Whilst humming something barely coherent that sounded rather very much like a Christmas tune to himself, Ryou picked up a shopping basket outside the store and merrily walked in and was shepherded in amongst the other shoppers. He smiled at the friendly neon lights and made his way through the bread isle to the back of the store where the frozen foods were kept. As he traced a warm finger against the iced rim of the displays, he examined each frozen dish carefully.

Ten minutes later he handed over the small stack of TV dinners to the cashier and gave his usual congenially adorable smile and paid with his credit card. (Yes, his father trusted him with a credit card. And its not like his father was paid in yen, so credit cards made for easy transactions.)

Then, plastic bag swinging, he walked out of the store like a good little shopper, proudly displaying the name of the store on the now dripping wet bag. The rain was really pouring now. Ryou sighed and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head.

Seto Kaiba, not far away, was being handed a steaming cup of coffee by his driver, who had gotten out to purchase said coffee for him. The driver walked around and closed his umbrella in preparing to get in the limousine. Seto pressed the button that automatically rolled the window up but stopped when he saw a certain familiar white haired teenager in the distance. _He's not really going to walk all the way back to wherever he lives in the rain, is he? _He watched Ryou for a moment but was distracted when his driver had entered the car and slammed the door shut.

"Where to, Master Kaiba?"

Seto looked at the driver and then looked back out the half rolled up window at Ryou, waiting at the crosswalk for the lights to change. Should he ask the driver to pull over and give him a ride? Then an unexpected voice came from the forgotten passenger beside him. Pharaoh.

"Oooh, who's that?" said the tri-colored ex-aristocrat, leaning almost on top of Seto to get a better view, "The thief? Of course not... must be his hikari. Ryou."

"What of it?" muttered Seto. He really didn't feel charitable enough to give out rides to hitchhikers right now, anyway. Seto pressed the button aggressively and the window finished its ride to the top of the pane.

Yami pouted, then smirked, and stole the warm cup of coffee away from Seto, sipping it deliberately in plain view and then murmured softly...

"Give the boy a ride."

* * *

Author's notes: Happy Holidays to all, and a Happy New Year as well. Sorry for not updating in so long. I need ideas. x.x  
**_REVIEW!_**


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